The Heritage Conservation Network is recruiting volunteers to come to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to help in the final stages of the restoration of a historic home that was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Work will begin on January 1, 2007; the goal of the work is to rebuild the porch, which was ripped from the house by the storm surge.

The house at 115 Washington was built c. 1895 by Edwin Edwards, a sawmill operator. Edwards "knowledgeable construction techniques may be what allowed the house to withstand the huge tidal surge that destroyed most of the other houses between it and the Gulf. The current owner, with the help of neighbors, has worked for the past year to rebuild the house. The porch is the final piece. "The porch is one of the defining characteristics of the house; it will be nice to see it whole again," said Judith Broeker, HCN's Program Director.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn preservation carpentry skills as they help build a future for this distinctive element of the past. A restoration expert will lead and guide participants in their work. The workshop is scheduled for January 1-13, 2007; volunteers may sign up for one or two weeks. Participants will be housed in Gulfport, Mississippi as there is still no accommodation in Bay St. Louis. Volunteers are asked to cover their own expenses, and should plan to arrive on December 31, 2006. For complete details and to register, see HCN's website: www.heritageconservation.net/ws-bay-st-louis-2007.htm

The workshop is part of a larger project called Rebuilding After Katrina Using Local Resources. With funding from the Hamer Center at Pennsylvania State University, the project is exploring various avenues of rebuilding, including deconstruction, salvage and reuse. Salvaged historic materials will be used to the greatest extent possible during the workshop.

Heritage Conservation Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of architectural heritage the world over. In 2006, HCN coordinated volunteer cleanup and restoration efforts at seven historic home sites in Bay St. Louis and New Orleans. The home at 115 Washington Street is one of six preservation projects around the world that will be receiving hands-on preservation assistance from HCN in 2007. Anyone wishing to contribute to their efforts should contact Judith Broeker, Program Director, at (303) 444-0128 or workshops@heritageconservation.net.